Rytm16

Rytm16 from Rhythmic Robot is a late-1970s analogue drum machine from Poland. As well as individual drum instrument hits it has 16 onboard preset rhythms (all of which we've beatsliced for you so they'll follow your host DAW's tempo), and each preset has two variations, introducing a nice element of "feel" to the beats. Although the usual suspects are present (slow rock, cha cha, bossa nova) the real appeal of the Rytm16 lies in its five separate Disco presets, which instantly conjure up a bygone era of flared white jeans and platform soles.

Rytm16 has a warm, slightly soft-edged sound, though the ride cymbals are still sharp and clear. It is ideally suited to downtempo styles, chillout, lounge, jazz fusion, and laid-back funk, though its mellow tone also works very well layered across more contemporary beats to add a touch of vintage vibe.

Rhythmic Robot's recreation adds individual pan controls, MIDI velocity control, compression, saturation, distortion and a convolved vintage plate reverb, allowing you to dial up precisely the drum sound you need. It requires Kontakt 4.2.3 or later to run. For more details and audio demos, visit Rhythmic Robot's website.